Being a parent has been a whole new (very humbling) lesson in letting go of perfectionism. There are times when I simply can’t manage work, a household, daycare drop-offs and pick-ups, doctors appointments, cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, etc….and still put together a Pinterest-worthy birthday party, bedroom, meal, or wardrobe for my 3-year-old. Let’s be honest: sometimes I can’t even be sure I remembered to clean the oatmeal off his face from breakfast before I drop him off at daycare.

Finding a healthy balance of doing cool, creative things for Graham without becoming obsessed with perfection is hard for this Type A overachiever. I’ve had to become okay with “good enough.” Choosing practicality and frugality over the temptation of ALL THE THINGS that seem like they’d make me be the coolest mom on the block (or, uh, Instagram) is a test of willpower sometimes. But then I remember that Graham doesn’t notice or care about any of it, as long as he’s surrounded by love, and fun, and snacks, and laughter, and trucks. Lots and lots of trucks.

What is the Truthfulhood Project? Throughout 2016, I’ll be creating a new weekly project for myself. Each week, I will create a piece of art (be it hand lettering, a graphic pattern, orrrrr maybe a scribble on a post-it if I’m really tired) that expresses a truth of my motherhood experience, and share it on Instagram, along with some sort of story behind it. Follow along here, or on Instagram. #truthfulhood #truthfulhoodproject

Graham is rounding out the first week of sleeping in his big boy room, and we expected some hiccups with the change. With the exception, however, of finding some excellent excuses to call us in the first few nights before falling asleep (“Mommy… um, my arm hurts. Can you kiss it?”), and two earlier-than-usual mornings, he has handled the transition like a complete rockstar. And this morning, he was so excited and proud of himself for staying in bed all night, he immediately gifted me with some Lego flowers when I went in to get him.

I’ve never been the best at handling change with grace, but the non-stop changes and transitions (and Lego flower bouquets) that come with being a parent get me straight through the heart sometimes, more than I ever expected they could. 💘 Oftentimes this motherhood gig is exhausting and thankless, but other times its sweetness is more than my emotions (read: pregnancy hormones) can handle.

What is the Truthfulhood Project? Throughout 2016, I’ll be creating a new weekly project for myself. Each week, I will create a piece of art (be it hand lettering, a graphic pattern, orrrrr maybe a scribble on a post-it if I’m really tired) that expresses a truth of my motherhood experience, and share it on Instagram, along with some sort of story behind it. Follow along here, or on Instagram. #truthfulhood #truthfulhoodproject

The short version: I’m jumping on the New Year’s resolution bandwagon and creating a new weekly project for myself. Each week, I will create a piece of art (be it hand lettering, a graphic pattern, orrrrr maybe a scribble on a post-it if I’m really tired) that expresses a truth of my motherhood experience, and share it on Instagram, along with some sort of story behind it. I’m calling it Truthfulhood.

The long version: I’m just about four weeks away from my due date with baby no. 2. While I approach maternity leave, postpartum fun, baby snuggles, sleep deprivation, and a new normal of parenting a newborn and a 3.5 year old, I wanted to give myself a challenge that will allow me to keep up with creating (for myself, not for clients), but without too much pressure. In January 2014 I dove into a daily hand lettering challenge, and promptly gave up by mid-February due to boredom/lack of time. This time around, I’m leaving the medium and final product more open ended, making it a weekly(-ish?) project instead of daily, and in general setting fairly low expectations 😉 And I may not always post on the same day each week, because: motherhood. But I’ll do my best.

I think it’s important for moms of all kind to be truthful about their motherhood experiences and supportive of one another. We all feel and handle experiences differently on this crazy, poop-filled rodeo, and ultimately we’re all just doing the best we can. I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing village of moms supporting me since I first found out I was pregnant with Graham, and one of my highlights of 2015 was monthly outings with a local group of mom friends that I’ve come to be close to. Once a month we’d meet up for a “post bedtime happy hour” (after the kids were in bed, or at least winding down, leaving dads on duty) for drinks, nachos, and whatever else we were in the mood for, to just catch up on life. I could always count on these ladies to be hilarious, brutally honest, and supportive, no matter what parenting/work/life challenges any of us might be facing at any particular time. I always leave our outings feeling refreshed, supported, and understood. Those ladies have become an important part of my village, and this project is a little extension of that sisterhood: sharing the good, the bad, the poop-covered, and the irrational-toddler-inspired truths of my motherhood experience.

Follow along here, or on Instagram. #truthfulhood #truthfulhoodproject

In this season of my life, I often feel like I’m in constant GO! mode. I’m helping to manage a business, a household, a jam-packed family calendar, and a 3-year old… all while growing another human. (Surprise! Baby girl is due in February and I’m in full-on nesting mode.)

I’ve always been a fan of organizing and having solid systems for productivity, but now it’s an absolute necessity for maintaining my sanity. These are some products and systems that keep my days running (mostly) smoothly.

OBSESSIVELY PRODUCTIVE: AT WORK

BASECAMP: I sing the praises of this project management software to anyone who will listen. If you are a business owner and you’re not using Basecamp… why not?? Basecamp helps my partners and I communicate with each other without having a million emails to sort through, it helps us to stay organized with work tasks for various projects and clients, allows us to loop our clients in to organized discussion threads, and makes it so easy to refer back to an old conversation or project with such ease.

DROPBOX: another useful tool for running a business with partners who are in different locations, Dropbox is a great cloud storage service. One of my favorite features is that it allows you to restore old versions of files for 30 days — in case you accidentally saved over something you didn’t mean to or are faced with a corrupt file — or forever if you pay extra for the Packrat add-on (which I think is 100% worth it and has saved me on multiple occasions). It’s still imperative to have backups of important files elsewhere, but Dropbox has helped us to keep our business running productively day in and day out.

ONGOING EMAIL ORGANIZATION: keeping a low number of emails in my inbox is something that has become imperative to my workday productivity. I use Mac Mail and go through my inbox probably a few times a day to file away emails that have been responded to/addressed, and delete Basecamp notifications that have been read/addressed/responded to. Doing this constantly ensures that I’m not accidentally missing an important email or task, and it keeps me super productive. If I miss a day or two of organizing/deleting, I’m buried under emails that don’t need my attention, and I feel generally overwhelmed.

SIMPLIFIED PLANNER: Having a pretty planner certainly makes it more appealing to keep my workday organized. I have the weekly edition of Emily Ley’s Happy Stripe Simplified Planner (currently sold out, but there is also a daily edition), and it’s perfect for me. Each day has space for 7 tasks to check off, which prevents me from unrealistically piling too many to-dos on my plate. The cover is durable and holding up really well four months in… and of course, it’s happy and colorful, so it makes me want to use it!

LEUCHTTURM NOTEBOOK: I’ve always used Moleskine notebooks for taking notes and sketching, but I’m now a Leuchtturm convert. I have the Leuchtturm 1917 Notebook A5 hardcover with dotted grid, which is great for sketching and note-taking alike. I also love that the pages are numbered (in case you need to be able to easily refer back to something), it lies flat without having a spiral binding that gets in the way, and has a ribbon book mark for keeping track of your last marked up page.

PASSWORD REMINDER BOOK: I keep my Bob’s Your Uncle Open Sesame Password Reminder Book nearby at all times when I’m working, and it helps me avoid the inevitable frustration when I can’t remember a password. I prefer a hard copy since I feel like keeping a log of passwords on my computer is not secure; I’ve had this for years, and it is such a useful tool and time-saver. (As long as I remembered to write all of my passwords down in it!)

OBSESSIVELY PRODUCTIVE: AT HOME

MEAL PLANNING: Nick used to be the primary chef in our family; his job recently changed, though, meaning he no longer works from home and he gets home just when we’d like to be sitting down and eating, so meal planning and cooking now falls pretty exclusively on my shoulders. A few years ago this thought would have terrified me, but this year I’ve embraced it and, dare I say, I really enjoy meal planning and cooking now. Every Saturday morning, I plan out our dinners for the week, make a grocery list, and Nick & Graham head to the grocery store for everything we need. It has become a regular routine and having it all mapped out before a busy week begins means I’m not stressing about what to cook every night at 5:30. We also seem to waste a lot less food, and are definitely less tempted to eat out (with the exception of our standing pizza night on Wednesdays, which is the perfect mid-week cooking break for me).

Below are some of our favorite truck books and toys that help him uphold his obsession.

1. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site – This is a bedtime favorite in our house. Not only does Graham love it, but I love the detailed and beautiful pastel illustrations, and sweet little details like the crane truck who sleeps with his teddy bear.

2. Trucks Roll! – This is another one that I love for the illustrations. Unlike Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site, though, these illustrations are bold and graphic — they’re great for helping little ones identify primary colors. We met our limit with renewing this one at the library… it might be time to buy our own copy!

3. Little Blue Truck – This super cute story also includes a cast of lovable farm animals, so Graham was sold the first time we read it! It’s a sweet book about friendship and helping one another, in addition to — of course — including trucks.

4. Little Blue Truck Leads the Way – A sequel to Little Blue Truck, it follows our truck buddy as he heads into the big city, battling traffic with everything from delivery trucks and double-decker buses to limousines and police cars. Basically, a vehicle-loving kid’s dream.

5. Bulldozer – Graham has memorized many of the simple rhymes in this book, so it’s a fun, interactive story to read together. The cute die-cut shape doesn’t hurt, either.

6. My Truck Is Stuck! – This silly little story is also a bedtime favorite, with a playful cast of dogs, beavers, and — you guessed it — lots and lots of 4-wheeled friends.

1. Melissa & Doug Car Carrier – We love the simple wooden Melissa & Doug toys, and this one can keep Graham entertained for hours. A nice bonus is that the cars also fit on his wooden train tracks, and his train cars fit on this carrier. Toddler. Mind. Blown!

2. Melissa & Doug Magnetic Car Loader – Since Graham loved his other car carrier so much, Santa brought him this one for Christmas. The magnetic factor adds a whole new element of endless entertainment.

3. CAT Tough Tracks Loader – The CAT toys are especially fun since they look like the real thing. Graham constantly corrects me if I mistakenly call an excavator a front end loader (the horror!) and he has a blast with this loader.

4. Janod Original DIY Truck – This wooden truck comes with a hammer, screwdriver and wrench for lots of building fun. It also has a leash that attaches to the front so it can be carried around accordingly.

5. Green Toys Recycling Truck – Green Toys are all made from recycled milk containers, so they’re a nice alternative to a lot of the other plastic toys out there. This recycling truck is a favorite of Graham’s and has lots of space for carrying/dumping things. He also has and loves the Green Toys Dump Truck.

6. Bruder MAN Fire Engine – This one is on Graham’s wish list, and no doubt he will love it. It’s an investment for sure, but with lots of moving parts, lights, a siren, and a hose that can really shoot water, what’s not to love?

All images via the links above; opinions are my own. Claremont Road is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about paring down my possessions and buying items more intentionally with the hopes of living a simpler, fuller life. Since that time, Nick and I moved from our 2-bedroom apartment into a larger 3-bedroom home and had a baby, which meant acquiring a whole new breed of stuff. (Boppies, Bumbos, and bassinets, oh my!) Even so, we tried to be conscious of what we were bringing into our home, borrowed some larger baby items that could be returned to their rightful owners when we were done with them, and generally tried to continue being conscious consumers.

But still. When you move into a house with a basement — that wonderful, unfinished cavern of spaaaaaace for storing belongings out of sight — thing slowly start to pile up. A few baby outfits turns into bins of baby outfits, turns into disassembled baby gear that was used all of five times, turns into seven bins full of stuff that your mom brings over from her basement now that you have your own basement in which to keep the entirety of your childhood memories…

It adds up.

Over the last few months I’ve attempted to tackle a new room or space each weekend and unclutter a bit, and it’s felt good. Really good. Nick even noticed a change in my demeanor after the basement and mudroom, two of the spaces that were getting to me the most, were majorly cleaned up. I donated a bag of my clothes to Goodwill, sorted some of Graham’s clothes for consignment, got rid of a bunch of plastic things in the kitchen that we’ve slowly been replacing with glass and stainless steel anyway, and generally felt like I could breathe again after freeing up a little space in our home. It felt liberating, and again forced me to reflect on the fact that we actually have far more space than we truly need; it’s just that our space is not always being used to its full potential because of the things that we choose to put in it.

This past weekend, we watched a documentary on Netflix called Tiny: A Story About Living Small, which follows the story of a man who builds his own “tiny house” to live in — a 130 square foot house built on a trailer bed — and tells the story of several others who have decided to live in tiny houses. Apparently, there is a whole tiny house movement happening; these are not mobile homes or RVs or small vacation getaways, but genuinely tiny houses that are lived in year-round and have been planned out in such a way that every inch of space has a purpose. They are often built on trailer beds because that allows the owners to get around building codes (most towns have a square footage minimum that must be upheld for new construction), but for the most part they stay in one place.

We loved seeing how people used their spaces creatively, how they still managed to make them feel warm and uncluttered, and how genuinely happy the homeowners were to be living in such a small space. Some chose to live in a tiny house because of financial reasons while others made the decision based on environmental impact, but the overarching theme was one of a peacefulness and contentedness that the tiny house owners shared.

So… we’re building our own tiny house!

I’m kidding. We’re definitely not. It’s cool and all, but whoa. We couldn’t do it, especially with a toddler. Admirable, for sure, but a bit too extreme for me.

Watching the documentary has further inspired us, though, to strive less for a bigger space and more for better use of our existing space. It’s a conversation we’ve had a lot in the last several years: preventing ourselves from feeling like we “need” a certain amount of space because it’s what others have, and how thoughtful planning and being fully conscious of every item we bring into our home can make all the difference in feeling like we have enough space. It’s so easy to get caught up in feeling like our home should be a certain size based on how others around us are living; when our parents were kids, didn’t their parents buy a modest home when they got married and just pack in as many kids as they ended up having? Today, there seems to be some unwritten rule that you start out with a starter home, and move your way up to a forever home, and the amount of space you have is much more important than the way you fill that space.

The most important factor to us in where we choose to live is our quality of life. Because of that, we currently rent a 3-bedroom rowhome in a town that we love. Now, don’t get me wrong: 3 bedrooms is plenty of room! I fully recognize that it is much, much more than so many people have. Still, to some, our home would probably be considered a starter home because of its square footage, the lack of a garage, the small yard, and the fact that we share walls with neighbors on either side… but the more we’ve thought about it and talked about it, the more we’ve realized that we could continue making it work for us for many years. We want to make it work for us because we love where we are geographically, and that happiness is much more important to us than any walk-in closet or 2-car garage could be.

We could certainly have a larger home in a town that we love less, and we could maybe even own that home, but what would be the point? If having the ability to walk to the market, the park, the post office, and my favorite gift shop all in one fell swoop makes us happier day in and day out, and that means renting a slightly smaller home, we think that is a pretty amazing trade-off.

We may not live in a truly tiny house, but I look forward to making it feel tiny in all the ways that really matter.

There are days when Graham’s toys go untouched because we’re spending lots of time outside or we’re busy going on adventures, but one thing we still do a good amount of every day is reading, no matter what else is going on. I love how much Graham loves his books, and that reading time together usually also means snuggle time (bonus for Mommy). He definitely goes through phases and will be obsessed with a certain book one week and won’t even notice that same book the following week, but for the most part the titles below are all in heavy rotation in our house.

ILLUSTRATED FAVORITES

1. Little Blue Truck
A wonderfully illustrated book with lots of fun animal sounds, this is currently the book that Graham demands we read to him when he wakes up in the morning and when he wakes up from his nap.

2. Otis
I love this sweet story of a tractor and calf who become best friends; the illustrations all have soft, muted colors with pops of red and yellow, which is a nice departure from the sometimes blinding colors of children’s books!

3. I Love You Because You’re You
This one makes me teary on the regular, as the illustrations of a fox mother and son go straight to my sappy heart. Graham loves pointing out all the details in this one, like the cookies, the ball, and the broken airplane toy.

4. Flip, Flap, Fly!
A sweet and pretty exploration of different types of animals, this is another adorable mom-and-baby story told through rhyme.

ERIC CARLE CLASSICSThese were some of the first books that Graham ever really paid attention to and showed an interest in. They’re simple, charming, and I love Eric Carle’s illustration style — not to mention the fact that they’re great for learning colors, numbers, animals, etc. From Head to Toe is the latest we’ve added to our collection and it’s SO FUN to see Graham act out all of the movements. Perfect for a two-year old!

BABY LIT® FAVORITESI could not love these books more — literary classics turned into primers for learning colors, numbers and the like — and we need to continue building our collection. They’re simple stories that leave lots of room for the imagination (such as the 5 marriage proposals page in Pride & Prejudice that we add hilarious commentary to for Graham), and the illustrations are undeniably adorable. You can even buy prints of the illustrations from illustrator Allison Oliver’s site.

BEDTIME STORIESWe (and as a result, Graham) are creatures of habit, so we typically rotate the same few books during his bedtime routine. It has created a nice, predictable routine… which I’m sure will change now that I’ve said that. The below books are mostly short and sweet, and are perfect for prepping the little guy for sleepy-time. Big Dog… Little Dog is a sentimental favorite, as Nick and I both loved it as kids. Funny enough, we’re missing the staple Good Night, Moon from this line-up — we will have to get a copy of that to add to our library, stat.

I’d love to know what you’re reading to your little ones… what should we add to Graham’s bookshelf this year?

All images via the links above; opinions are my own. Claremont Road is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

The old cliché really is true: the days are long, but the years are short. Here we are, approaching Graham’s second birthday, even though it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating his first birthday and waiting with bated breath to see when he’d take his first steps. Now he’s a running, climbing, jumping, chatterbox, jokester toddler who surprises us with something new each day. Naturally, I’ve been doing a lot of sappy reflecting, grasping all that I’ve learned in this whirlwind new role. Here are just a few thoughts/pointers regarding the millions of things I’ve learned.

Motherhood doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and that’s okay.I loved my son with every ounce of my being the moment I laid eyes on him, but for a long while I had no clue what I was doing. The books I read and preparations I made taught me nothing about how to truly handle the emotions and changes-every-second craziness of parenting an infant, well through the entire first twelve months. (If I’m being honest, it didn’t really feel like it “clicked” until he was 16 months.) The first year of his life was truly about survival for me; I felt much more like a rattled student in some absurd, completely overwhelming Parenting Academy where you are tested on your capacity to catch spit-up mid-air without getting any on your clothes, and your ability to rush to the changing pad just before the blowout becomes a real problem. I attended a weekly mom’s group that my lactation consultant started for moms of newborns, and for so many months, I felt like I just observed what the other moms did and took their lead without truly feeling like I knew what I was doing; I was waiting for it all to feel like second nature, but it took a very long time for that to happen. I felt like an impostor amidst other moms who took to their new role like pros from the start. Looking back, I recognize that year one was just a complete whirlwind of emotions and newness, every single day, but year two has been when I truly felt like I became a mother. A wipe-my-spit-on-your-face-to-clean-it-off, know-you’re-about-to-scale-the-furniture-even-before-you-do-it, can-get-you-dressed-without-you-even-noticing-because-I-rock-at-distracting-you mother.

You begin to really appreciate all the tough decisions your parents made on your behalf, and realize how scary it is to make decisions for your own tiny human being.I can now fully appreciate how bad-ass it was of my mom to pull me out of my first dance recital, at age three, because she didn’t want me being objectified while shaking my butt on stage in an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. Other parents probably thought it was a cute and harmless routine, but my mom, she of the female art school education during the Gloria Steinem era, knew that it was setting me up for a future of valuing my own self-worth based on my appearance, and she took a stand. It was a statement I didn’t understand at that young age, and I probably didn’t even realize it was happening, but that decision she made for me is something that stays with me still today. There are a lot of tough choices that go into parenting, and I hope Nick and I will do Graham proud when he someday looks back at the decisions we made for him.

Never plan anything important during naptime.The day you plan that important conference call during naptime “because he always sleeps at least 2 hours” is the day your child will revolt against naptime, complete with ear piercing, heartbreaking screams and flailing arms smacking the crib. Kids have an uncanny ability to know exactly when you’re realllllly counting on them to behave a certain way, and that is the moment they will ensure that it all goes to hell. In other words: naptime is never, ever a given. Anything you are able to accomplish during that peaceful time is simply a bonus, but the moment something depends on it happening, it won’t.

You will buy crap you said you’d never buy, including experiences that your kid will not remember.I never understood why parents pay for things like DisneyWorld or, on a much smaller scale, Day Out With Thomas, for small kids who will have no recollection of that experience as they grow up. Now I totally get it (and I have the Day Out With Thomas tickets to prove it). Yes, it’s all part of the larger mastermind created by Very Intelligent Business People who exploit the emotional pull that parents feel to make their kids happy. But damn if seeing that huge grin that appears the first time your kid lays eyes on Mickey/Thomas/whoever live and in person (er, in engine?) doesn’t make it all worth it. Embrace the crap and the experiences, and just enjoy those grins and gazes of wonder.

One day your kid WILL stop hating the car seat.I promise — it really will happen. One day, magically, out of nowhere, your child will actually giggle and be pleasant for an entire car ride, and it will drastically improve your life.

Date nights happen very rarely.…And when they do happen, they usually entail talking about your child (who is asleep at home while you are paying someone to watch your tv), and getting home no later than 10pm. Your human alarm clock will wake you up when the sun rises the next day, anyway, so staying out late is much less tempting than it used to be. Soak up those date nights when you can, or create mini date nights at home when you can’t fathom paying a sitter.

You’ll get a lot more sleep in the second year… but may be just as (if not more) tired.The energy level of toddlers is NO JOKE. Graham typically sleeps 11 straight hours at night and another 2-3 hours at naptime, and it’s no wonder — when he’s awake, he never. stops. moving. Ever. No, really: ever. While we put him to bed at 7pm, have a few hours to ourselves to do work, catch up on housework, or maybe watch tv before we go to sleep ourselves, we’re still completely pooped at the end of the day after running with/after him for hours on end. It’s a different kind of exhaustion from the sleepless newborn days, and it does feel more gratifying because you’re getting a lot more laughter, kisses, and snuggles in return, but it is still pure exhaustion.

Parents’ intuition is real.When Graham was 9 days old, he was not acting like himself. I felt like something wasn’t right, so we took his temperature, found that it was just a little high, and called the pediatrician on call (it was a Sunday, of course). I remember telling the doctor over the phone that I felt like he was disoriented and out of sorts; he was looking through me instead of at me, like he usually did. Looking back, I kind of marvel at the fact that I could read so much from a tiny human I’d only known for 9 days, but my gut knew that something wasn’t right. We took him to the ER and it turned out he was indeed a sick little guy. He ended up being admitted for three days until his fever dropped and they could determine whether it was a viral (good) or bacterial (bad) infection. That is standard protocol for any baby that young, but it was still such a scary experience for us not knowing what was wrong with him. I’m so glad we trusted our instincts, and it was a good lesson to learn early on to always listen to your gut.

If you follow me on Pinterest, specifically my baking board (aptly named “things I should not bake but ultimately will“), then it’s no surprise to you that I have a weakness for desserts of the lemony variety. It started innocently enough in high school with the occasional Tastykake lemon pie from the cafeteria vending machine; over time, the obsession grew, and now it is my life’s mission to find the most delectable lemon desserts on the planet.

I recently stumbled upon my favorite one yet: Bakerella’s Lemony Lemonies. They are the density and consistency of a brownie, but made of all lemon-goodness. Aside from zesting a few lemons (which my friendly assistant husband took care of for me), it’s low on the labor scale and high on the quick-and-easy scale. They were also really simple to cut after being chilled, which was a bonus — there’s nothing more annoying than baking a pretty and delicious treat that looks all wonky once you cut it. I made these for a get-together last Saturday, and they were the perfect summer treat after lunch. (Personally, I think they’re best chilled, but you be the judge!) I may or may not have been polishing them off all week… just ask my waistline.

Head on over to Bakerella to see the full recipe — and get baking immediately, would ya? You’ll thank me later.

Hi. I’m Brooke Forry. I am a wife, mom, designer, business owner, pizza connoisseur and pop culture aficionado. I am 30-something, faking my way through adulthood and parenthood… one responsibility at a time.